Container



Dec. 29, 1964 BLAKSLEE' 3,163,310

CONTAINER v Filed Dec. 31, 1963 INVEN TOR.

BY a a:

Anne/ y [OI V4? ZEPOY BLAKSME United States PatentOfifice 3,163,310Patented Dec. 29, 1964 3,163,310 CONTAINER Edward Leroy Blakslee,Crystal Lake, 111., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., acorporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 31, 1963, 521'. No. 334,848 9Claims. (Cl. 215-46) The present invention relates generally to acontainer for hermetically sealing food or other type products and moreparticularly to such a container which includes an easily removable endclosure which is adapted to be used as a reclosure after the initialopening of the container.

An object of the present invention is to provide an easily openablecontainer for hermetically sealing food or other type products which mayor may not be maintained under vacuum.

Another object is to provide such a container which may be easily openedwithout the use of an opening tool and which may be readily reclosedafter the initial opening thereof to preserve the product remaining inthe container.

A further object is to provide such a container with an end closurewhich may be easily gripped by the consumer for the removal thereof fromthe container body.

A still further object is the provision of a container for productsmaintained under vacuum therein which comprises an end closure that isadapted to indicate visually and audibly the presence of and thebreaking of, respectively, the vacuum Within the container, so that theconsumer can be assured of the hermetic sealing of the food productwithin the container.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a container constructed according tothe principles of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of a blank from which the endclosure shown in FIGURE 1 is made;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 33of FIGURE 1, showing the end closure in blank form (broken lines) and infinal form when a product is maintained at substantially atmosphericpressure Within the container;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing the end 'closure when aproduct is maintained under vacuum within the container;

FIG. 5 is a partial side elevational view of the container of FIGURE 1,showing the end closure as it is being removed from or as it is beingrepositioned on the container 'body; and

such as aluminum or lightweight tin plate.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the container body 12 comprises agenerally vertically extending lower wall 16 which merges at its upperend with an inwardly extending intermediate wall 18 that in turn mergesat its upper end with a generally vertically extending upper wall 20.The

upper wall 20 comprises at its upper end an annular bead 22 having arelatively flat upper face 24 and a curved outer face 26. Referring nowto FIGURES 1 through 3, the blank 14a for the end closure 14 comprises arelatively fiat central panel 28 having a raised button 30 formedtherein for a purpose to be described hereinafter. The central panel 28merges at its outer end portion with a generally outwardly and upwardlyextending or tapered countersink wall 32 which in turn merges at itsupper end with a downwardly and outwardly extending upper portion 34.The outer end of the upper portion 34 merges with a depending flange orskirt 36a comprising a first continuous portion 38a disposed on one sideof and extending through approximately one-third of the periphery of theend closure blank 14a. Disposed substantially on the opposite side ofthe end closure blank 14a is a second continuous portion 40a which isshorter than the first continuous portion 38a, and extending downwardlyfrom the second continuous skirt portion 40a and formed integraltherewith is a pull tongue 40a (see FIG. 2) which is of sufiicientlength as to be easily gripped between the fingers of the consumer. 7

Between the continuous portions 38a and 41M, theskirt 36a of the blank14a comprises a plurality of substantially equally spaced, dependingtabs or fingers 44:: which extend downwardly from the upper blankportion 34 substantially the same distance as the first continuous skirtportion 38a. A sealing gasket 46 is disposed on the undersurface of theupper blank portion 34 and extends onto the inner surface of thecountersink wall 32 and the depending skirt 3611 (see FIG. 3). Thesealing gasket 46 preferably is formed of a suitable compressibleplastic material such as a plastisol or a foamed plastisol.

When the end closure 14 is to be formed from the blank 14a, thepreferable, but not the only, method of forming the end closure 14 is toposition the blank 14a on the container body 12 in the manner shown inFIG. 3, wherein the central panel 28 and the countersink wall 32 aredisposed within the container body 12, the sealing gasket 46 is incontact with the upper face 24 ofthe head 22, and the depending blankskirt 36a extends over the container body bead 22 and is in contact withthe curved outer face 26 thereof. The first continuous skirt portion380, the second continuous skirt portion 40a and the depending tabs 44athen are deformed or rolled inwardly under the container body bead 22into contact with the upper container body wall 20 in any suitable orconventional manner (not shown) to form the outwardly curved skirt orflange 36 of the end closure 14 which comprises a first continuousportion 38, a second continuous portion countersink wall 32 of the endclosure 14 to'hermetically seal the food product P within the containerbody 12.

When it is desired to remove the end closure 14 from the container body12 to provide access to the product P within the container body 12, thepull tongue 42 is grasped between the fingers of the consumer and ispulled outwardly and upwardly as shown in FIG. 5 to lift the secondcontinuous portion 40 of the end closure skirt 36 upwardly over thecontainer body bead 22. 'During this lifting of the pull tongue 42, itis pivoted with respect to the second continuous portion 40 about ahinge line 48 disposed approximately in the area of the continuousportion 40 which is adjacent the bottom of the container body'bead 22when the end closure is positioned in sealing engagement with thecontainer body 12. The pull tongue 42 pivots to a position which isroughly vparallel to the adjacent portion of the end closure centralpanel 28. Since the depending tabs 44 on the end closure 14 are easilydeformable, continued upward pulling on the pull tongue 42 lifts thetabs 44 over the container body bead 22, and thus the first continuousportion 38 of the end closure flange 36 may be easily removed from thecontainer body 12 to effect the complete removal of the end closure 14from the container body 12. During the removal of the end closure 14from the container body 12, the countersink wall 32 reinforces the. endclosure 14 and prevents it from being deformed to a-much greater extentthan that shown in FIG. 5.

After the initial opening of the container 10, the end closure 14 may beconveniently utilized as a reclosure for the container body 12 topreserve the product P remaining therein. Since the first and secondcontinuous skirt portions 38 and 40, respectively, and the dependingtabs 44 are relatively resilient, they return substantially to theiroriginal shape after removal of the end closure .14 from the containerbody 12. Thus, the reclosure of the container body 12 ,may be easilyaccomplished by pressing thefirst continuous portion 38 of the endclosure fiange36 and the adjacent depending tabs 44 downwardly over thecontainer body bead 22 substantially as shown in FIG. 5. The remainingportion of the end closure 14 may then be deformed downwardly to snapthe remaining tabs 44 and the second'continuous portion-40 of the endclosure flange 36 over the container body bead 22 to re.- position thesealing gasket 46 in sealing engagement with the container body bead 22.The pull tongue 42 may then be pivoted'downwardly about the hinge line48 into a position which is adjacent to the container body 12 as shownin FIG. 1 so that the pull tongue 42 does not extend unnecessarilyoutwardly from the container body 12.

Referring now to FIG. 4, when the'product P is maintained under vacuumwithin the container body 12, atmospheric pressure on the outer portionof the end closure 14 will deform the central panel 28 and the button 30formed therein into depressed, downwardly curved positions, so that theconsumer canreadily determine the presence of vacuum within thecontainer by the depressed condition of the button.30. Thereafter, asthe end closure 14 is being removed from the container'body 12, as shownin FIG. 5, the pressure on bothsides of the button 30 is equalizedand,owing tothe resilience of the button 30, it snaps upwardly to theposition'shown in FIG. 3. This snapping of the button 30 from itsdepressed position shown in FIG. 4 to its normal position shown in FIG.3 creates an audible sound asthe vacuum is broken within thecontainer.10 to additionally indicate to the consumer that vacuum was present inthe container 10 prior to the removal of the end closure 14 therefrom,

and thus assures the consumer that the product within the .container washermetically sealed.

FIG. 6 illustrates a modified form of the end closure blank 14a of FIG.2. The modified end closure blank 14b of FIG. 6 is substantiallyidentical in construction to the blank 14a of FIG.'2, except for theomission of' the first continuous portion 38a of the skirt 36a on theend closure blank 14a. Instead, the skirt 36b of the modified endclosure blank 14b is provided with depending tabs 44b extendingcompletely around the periphery thereof with the exception of thesecondcontinuous portion 40b thereof having the depending pull tongue42b ,formed integral therewith. The procedure for the formation of thismodified end closure blank 14b into an end closure such as 14, theremoval of the modified end closure from the container body 12, and theprocedure for utilizing the modified end closure as a reclosure for thecontainer body 12 is identical to that described above with'respect tothe end closure blank 14a and the end closure14.

Various other modificationsrnay. be made in the inbe omitted from theend closure 14 and thus the central panel 28 thereof would besubstantially flat; and the container body bead 22 could be of anysuitable shape other than the curved one disclosed herein which wouldserve to retain the continuous and tab portions of the end closure skirt36 thereon.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. An easily removable end closure of an easily deformable metal for acontainer of the type having a dispensing mouth and an annular beadsurrounding the dispensing mouth, comprising:

a central panel,

a countersink wall extending upwardly from the 'periphery of saidcentral panel,

said central panel and said countersink wall being adapted to bereceived within the container'mouth,

an upper portion extending outwardly from said countersink wall,

a sealing gasket disposed on the undersurface of said upper portion andadapted to be compressed between said upper portion and the containerbead,

an annular skirt depending from said upper portion and adapted to extendover the container bead when the end closure is positioned on thecontainer,

said annular skirt comprising a plurality of spaced depending tabsadapted to be deformed inwardly to tightly engage the lower portion ofthe container head to provide an anchorage for the end closure when itis positioned on'the container, and

a depending pull tongue formed integral with said annular skirt tofacilitate removal and handlingpf the end closure.

2. The end closure'of claim 1 wherein said annular skirt is providedwith a continuous portion adapted to engage the lower portion of thecontainerbead, and

said depending pull tongue is formed integral with said continuousportion.

3. The end closure .of claim 1 wherein said annular skirt furthercomprises a first continuous portion of greater width than said tabswhich is adapted to engage the lower portion of the container bead andis disposed on a side'of the end closure opposite tothat on which saidpull tongue is disposed.

4. The end closure of claim 3 wherein said first continuousportionextends through approximately one third of the periphery of the endclosure.

5. The end closure of claim 3 wherein said annular skirt is providedwith a second continuous portion of greater width'than said tabsnwhichis adapted to. engage the lower portion of the container beadandisdisposed oppositely to said first continuous portion, and

said pull tongue is formed .integral with and depends from said secondcontinuous portion.

6. The end closure of claim 5 wherein said second continuous portion isshorter in width-than said firstcontinuous portion.

7. The end closure of claim 5 wherein said tabs are of uniformconfiguration and are equally spaced between said first continuousportion and said second continuous portions, 1

5 5 each of said tabs, said first continuous portion and said toindicate the presence of vacuum when the endclosure second continuousportion being curved in an outis POSifiOnBd 011 the Container.

ward direction.

8. The end closure of claim 7 wherein said end closure References Citedin the me of this Patent skirt is provided with cutout portions betweensaid tabs, 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS said cutout portions extendingupwardly through at least 2,153,344 Sellikin Apr. 4, 1939 one-half ofthe height of said skirt. 2,449,014 Shaffer .a. Sept. 7, 7948 9. The endclosure of claim 7 wherein said central 2,750,062 Satz June 12, 1956panel of the end closure is provided with a raised button ,380 BerglungFeb. 5, 1957

1. AN EASILY REMOVABLE END CLOSURE OF AN EASILY DEFORMABLE METAL FOR ACONTAINER OF THE TYPE HAVING A DISPENSING MOUTH AND AN ANNULAR BEADSURROUNDING THE DISPENSING MOUTH, COMPRISING: A CENTRAL PANEL, ACOUNTERSINK WALL EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF SAID CENTRALPANEL, SAID CENTRAL PANEL AND SAID COUNTERSINK WALL BEING ADAPTED TO BERECEIVED WITHIN THE CONTAINER MOUTH, AN UPPER PORTION EXTENDINGOUTWARDLY FROM SAID COUNTERSINK WALL, A SEALING GASKET DISPOSED ON THEUNDERSURFACE OF SAID UPPER PORTION AND ADAPTED TO BE COMPRESSED BETWEENSAID UPPER PORTION AND THE CONTAINER BEAD, AN ANNULAR SKIRT DEPENDINGFROM SAID UPPER PORTION AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND OVER THE CONTAINER BEADWHEN THE END CLOSURE IS POSITIONED ON THE CONTAINER,